So Gates Mcfadden's favourite episode is 'Genesis' (the one with the crew de-evolving (not devolving) into animals....). At first I thought she was joking, then it turns out that is the only episode she directed, so I suppose it was probably the most interesting to make for her - but I still think that should not translate to being her fav!

That's actually kinda sad. Many actors aspire to direct, but that episode is openly mocked by fans, and it was the one they gave to her to direct.

Probably no coincidence. She was probably nagging to direct or it might have been negotiated in her contract, so they just gave her a throwaway episode that didn't matter. They're not going to let an actor with no directing experience do BOBW or something.

Ha ha, I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. I know Frakes started out by directing a few TNG episodes, and now I see his name pop up in other shows as well.

I just imagine Gates McFadden trying to expand her resume, and when they ask her what experience she has directing, she says "I directed an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation." Then they ask her which one, she tells them "Genesis" and they're like "WHAT? GTFO!"

Several of them have gone on to direct after Trek. Jonathan Frakes, Robert Duncan McNeill, and Roxann Dawson have been quite successful, Levarr Burton has done some stuff too, probably more I'm forgetting.

They all have to start somewhere. As I understand it, you tell the producers you'd like to direct and they send you to "directors camp." You learn the ropes and maybe some day they give you a shot. Briggs-Dawson directed several ENT episodes. I know Tuvok's first directing shot was Living Witness, which was an excellent episode.

Logged

Argument, the presentation of reasonable views, never makes headway against conviction, and conviction takes no part in argument because it knows. E.F. Benson

Ha ha, I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. I know Frakes started out by directing a few TNG episodes, and now I see his name pop up in other shows as well.

I just imagine Gates McFadden trying to expand her resume, and when they ask her what experience she has directing, she says "I directed an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation." Then they ask her which one, she tells them "Genesis" and they're like "WHAT? GTFO!"

I suspect it was shortly after the last Jazz Bar closed for for business. Mourning the loss of this once great recreational pastime, engineers realised the only way to recreate the melancholy ambience only a Jazz Bar can create was to make one in a virtual reality existence. Hence the creation of the Holodeck and why what feels like well over 50% of Holodeck episodes are set in a sodding Jazz Bar....